Seasons of the Heart

by Susette Williams

“I’m sorry. My name’s Sasha Steinfeld.” Sasha fidgeted with the strap of her purse.

  “You must be cold. Why don’t we go sit down and have a cup of coffee,” Linda suggested.

  “Sounds wonderful.” Sasha unbuttoned her black wool coat as she followed Linda, smiling at her small waddling frame. “I bet you’re getting uncomfortable. How much longer do you have to go?”

  “Two weeks. Although, I feel like I could burst at any moment.” Linda motioned to a seat, waddled over to the coffee pot, poured two cups, and returned to place one in front of Sasha before going around to the other side of the desk where she sat down. Sasha heard a clunking sound. “I hope you don’t mind. I have to take my shoes off. They’re killing my feet.”

  “No. That’s fine.” Sasha smiled. “I can’t believe you’re still working.”

  Linda laughed. “Well, it’s me or my husband and since he already has a full time job…,” she shrugged her shoulders as her voice trailed off. “I don’t think he’d particularly want to run the bridal shop while I’m out either. That’s why I need someone to cover for me. I used to have an older woman who helped out, but she moved to Kansas City to be near her new grandbaby.”

  Sasha could tell she liked Linda already. Her friendly personality and smile made her feel comfortable. The only men she would have to deal with here were grooms, who wouldn’t be any trouble. She was sure she could handle the job, if given a chance.

  “I found a college student who can work the early shift, but I still need someone to work from two till close, around six o’clock. Would that be a problem for you?”

  “I have a class on Tuesday afternoons.” Sasha’s shoulders slumped. She hadn’t really thought about the hours before.

  “Deborah goes to school in the evenings. I’m sure she’d cover Tuesdays for you if you’d agree to work on Saturdays,” Linda suggested. “We close at four on Saturdays.”

  “That would be perfect.”

  Linda’s eyebrow arched. “Can you start immediately, though?” She patted her well-rounded belly.

  Chapter Six

  The phone rang promptly at 9:15, like it did every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday when Forrest had night classes. He was home and calling to check on Sasha. Without realizing it, she smiled. It always annoyed her when Jordan kept tabs on her while they were growing up, but for some reason, it warmed her heart to know Forrest was.

  “Hello, Forrest,” she said brightly, holding the receiver close to her face.

  “How do you know it’s me?” Came a reply in a low, sexy voice that made her shudder.

  It took her a moment to answer. “Because you always call at this time. Right after you get in the door from school.”

  “So you say I’m getting predictable, huh?”

  Sasha smiled. “I don’t mind.”

  “Good. So, how was your day?”

  “I got a job!” Sasha exclaimed.

  “So did I.” Forrest chuckled.

  “That’s not fair,” Sasha protested.

  “What do you mean it’s not fair?”

  “Because it’s my news to share. Shame on you." Sasha laughed. "You should have gotten a job yesterday, then we would have had good news to share on different days.”

  “Women.” Forrest sighed.

  “What about women? Are you comparing me to someone else?” Sasha heart skipped a beat while she waited for his reply.

  Forrest made a sound she couldn’t quite distinguish. “No, it’s a figure of speech. How am I supposed to know I was supposed to get a job yester… Wait a minute. Yesterday was Sunday. How was I suppose to get hired on a Sunday?”

  “Hmm. Good point. I’ll forgive you.”

  Forrest chuckled. “Thanks. So, where did you get a job? I’ll let you be the first one to share your news.”

  “The Bridal Shoppe. I start Wednesday.”

  “Hmm, sounds interesting. Do we get a discount on our wedding?” Forrest asked.

  Sasha wasn’t sure what to say. Forrest had to be teasing still. They weren’t really engaged. “Well, I don’t know… I didn’t ask about discounts.”

  A part of Sasha wished she could see Forrest’s face, but that meant he would be able see hers, too, and she was sure her cheeks were red. They felt hot. She raised a cool hand to touch one, definitely warm. “You didn’t say where you got a job.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  After a moment of silence, Sasha prodded him, “Aren’t you going to tell me?”

  Forrest laughed. “Yeah, just waited to see how long I could make you wait, build up the suspense.”

  “You meanie.” Sasha laughed.

  “Pearly gave me a lead on an old timer who might be looking for some help around his place.”

  “Pearly? Who’s Pearly?”

  “You know, your roomie’s boyfriend. The guy with the white teeth, W-a-d-e.” Forrest stretched each sentence out, giving her a chance to figure out who he was talking about, till he finally came out and told her.

  Sasha laughed. “Do you always have to call him Pearly?”

  Forrest chuckled. “I guess not, but his teeth are the first thing you see when you meet him.”

  “You’ve got a nice smile, too. And nice teeth,” Sasha added softly.

  “Hm.” The low sound sent chills down her spine. His voice did things to her, nice things. “I’ll have to remember to smile more.”

  Sasha could feel her cheeks grow warmer. Her shoulders tensed. This conversation was turning a bit too personal, too soon. She needed to change the topic. Anything as long as it had nothing to do with smiles or the warm, fuzzy feelings they elicited. This isn’t a real relationship, she reminded herself, and she wasn’t ready to get involved with anyone. “Well… you never did say where you’re working exactly. What are you going to be doing?”

  “I’ll be working on Fred Eakers’ place. He lost his wife a while back and needs some help getting the place back in shape. Seems he’s got a kid somewhere, but hasn't seen him or his daughter-in-law for years, nor his granddaughter. I sensed he didn't like talking about them either.”

  “That’s a shame. Poor guy. I wonder what happened.”

  “Don’t know, really. He and his son parted ways over a decade ago. Who knows, God can still work things out for them though,” Forrest said thoughtfully. “So, what about Saturday?”

  “What about it?”

  “I thought maybe we could go out and celebrate. What do you say? You game?”

  “I have to work, but the shop closes at four. I don’t know how long it will take to close up. Shouldn’t be long.” Sasha’s heart beat faster. She could have gotten out of going with Forrest if she really wanted to, but the truth was, she was beginning to look forward to seeing him or hearing his voice, like now, over the phone.

  “Do you want me to pick you up from work?”

  “I haven’t said yes.” Sasha laughed.

  “But you will.” There was a moment of silence before Forrest continued, “So, do you want me to pick you up and we can go out to dinner from there?”

  “I guess I could see if Katie would give me a ride to the bridal shop on her way to work. That way I won’t have to go back and get my car after dinner. That is…if you don’t mind taking me home.”

  “You know, if we were married, we wouldn’t have this problem.”

  The huskiness in Forrest voice caused Sasha’s heart to race. The phone slipped from her fingers and clanked on the kitchen table, then bounced on the floor twice before she could catch it by the cord and draw it back up to trembling hands. “Sorry. I dropped the phone.”

  “Obviously. You may want to talk louder for a while until my ear heals.”

  “I’m so s-o-r-r-y.”

  “It’s my fault. I’m the one who should be sorry. Look, I better let you go. I have to get up early for work. I’ll see you Saturday. If something happens and you can’t make it, just leave a message on my answering machine.”

  “Okay,” Sasha whispered numbly.

 
“G’night.”

  The dial tone hummed in her ear before she had the chance to tell him good night. Oh, why did she have to be such a bumbling idiot? He was just teasing and here she made a fool of herself. Now he probably thinks she’s totally repulsed by him. Not that he would really care. It wasn’t as if they were really engaged.

  Tuesday came and went without a phone call from Forrest. Wednesday, Sasha knew she should be excited about starting her new job, but loneliness plagued her. Since their ‘pretend’ engagement, Forrest had never gone more than a day without calling or seeing her. Now it had been thirty-six hours since she last talked to him and it didn’t look like she’d hear from him today. By the time she got off work and got home that night, he’d be leaving for evening classes at the college. If he didn't call her the last two days, it wasn't likely he'd remember to call her after class tonight.

  An icy breeze whipped by Sasha when she climbed out of her Escort. She bundled her wool coat around her and pasted a smile upon her face before she stepped into The Bridal Shoppe. Linda had asked her to come in early today to train, before she would be working on her own in the afternoons and on Saturdays. Linda's back was turned towards her. “Good morning.”

  Linda turned to greet her. “Good morning. There’s a closet in the viewing room where you can hang your coat.”

  Sasha followed as Linda led her into a room occupied by a round table with half a dozen padded chairs. Several books were spread across the table. Linda opened the closet and handed her a hanger.

  “This is the room we take perspective clients to so that they can view selections of invitations, decorations, and color schemes. There’s a changing room next to this one. We have tuxedo rentals. Mainly, the room is used for ‘potential’ brides and bridesmaids to try on dresses.”

  “Potential?”

  “Potential.” Linda nodded and laughed. “Until they pay for it and actually make it down the aisle, they’re potential.”

  “You mean… some people don’t make it down the aisle?”

  “I remember one woman who physically got sick every time she thought about walking down the aisle. They had all their invitations ordered and everything, right down to her wedding dress picked and paid for. Finally, the poor groom suggested they elope and hold a ceremony later for their family. They married a week before and then came back from their honeymoon to renew their vows before their family. She was fine then. I guess the real pressure was off and she didn’t have to worry anymore.”

  Sasha joined in Linda’s laughter, watching as Linda’s belly shook. She wanted to be happy again and eventually get married. If lucky, maybe even have her own baby one day. Why couldn’t she have met Forrest a year earlier? Then she never would have gone out with Doug and wouldn’t be the emotional mess she was today.

  By lunch, Sasha’s was so preoccupied with observing Linda with clients, she hadn’t had much time to think about Forrest. When the last couple left, Linda glanced at her watch. “Did you bring something to eat? I think we should have enough time to stop for lunch. Unless we have any walk-ins, there isn’t anyone scheduled until four-thirty.”

  “If you don’t mind, I thought I’d run across the street and grab a sandwich.”

  “No, go right ahead. If you’re here alone, you can either close the shop for fifteen minutes and leave a note on the door telling customers you’ll be right back, or the little pizza parlor down the street delivers.”

  “Oh, okay.” Sasha hadn’t thought about what she’d do for lunch when she was on her own on Saturdays. She made a mental note to be more prepared next time. After retrieving her coat, she hurried out of the shop and across the street.

  When she returned to the bridal shop, a white van was parked out front. A man in a blue uniform held the door open for her. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure,” he said and tipped his hat.

  Sasha saw a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers on the counter. “Those are lovely. Are they for a wedding?”

  Linda smiled. “No, actually, they’re for you.”

  “For… me?”

  “Yes, for you. Read the card.” Linda gently traced a thumb over the petal of a daisy. “Must be from someone special. He has good taste in flowers. These are gorgeous.”

  Sasha flashed a glance towards Linda. He? Who would send her flowers? With trembling fingers, Sasha opened the tiny envelope. Scrawled on the card was, "Good luck on your new job. Yours, Forrest." Her heart raced. He hadn’t called, but he sent her flowers.

  “So, who are they from?”

  Blushing, Sasha tucked the card back into the envelope and slid it in her purse. “A friend, just wishing me luck on my new job.”

  Linda smiled. “Must be a special friend.”

  Sasha didn’t comment, but headed to the back room with her flowers and her lunch, thinking Forrest was more than special.

  That night, ten o’clock came and went. Sasha decided she might as well go to bed. It was obvious Forrest wasn’t going to call and she didn’t want to be up when Katie came home. It would be embarrassing if Katie asked about Forrest and she had no news to give her friend. She thought for sure he would call after sending her flowers to work, but he didn’t, not that night or the nights to follow.

  Saturday morning Sasha dressed for work with uncertainty, choosing a plaid red skirt and a black turtleneck. Forrest still hadn’t called and she was beginning to wonder if he ever would again. He was supposed to take her out to dinner. She frowned as she slipped on her black leather boots.

  Sasha remembered Forrest offering to pick her up from work. As much as she hated to be the one to break the silence, she had to call him and find out for sure before she asked Katie for a ride to work.

  Katie was sitting at the table reading the paper when she walked into the kitchen. “Good morning.”

  “Morning,” Sasha replied, reaching for the phone to punch in Forrest’s number. It rang and rang, but no one answered.

  “What’s wrong? Why the long face?” Katie asked, then took another sip of her coffee.

  Sasha replaced the phone in its cradle. “Forrest was supposed to take me out after work, but I can’t get a hold of him. There isn't good cell phone reception in the house. Hopefully I didn't miss his call." If she had, there would have been a note on her phone indicating missed call, but there wasn't. "Forrest mentioned picking me up from work, but now I’m not sure if he’s going to or not.”

  “I’m just about ready to leave for work. Why don’t I drop you off on the way? Then, if he doesn’t plan on picking you up till later, I can always swing by and get you on my way home from work. Just give me a call and let me know if you need a ride later or not.”

  “I don’t know. I really don’t want to be any trouble. Maybe I should just drive.”

  “Nonsense,” Katie insisted. She walked over to the sink and deposited her cup, then walked over to Sasha and laid an arm around her shoulder, turning her towards the living room. “Get your coat on. It’s settled. Just call me this afternoon after you get in touch with Forrest. If you still can’t… well, I will just swing by and pick you up anyway.”

  On their way to the bridal shop, Katie rattled on about her wedding plans. “We were going to wait till the summer to get married, but since I’ll be off for spring break, we decided to get married then.”

  “Really? Wow, that’s not too far away.”

  “No, but Linda said it wasn’t a problem. We’re pushing it a bit, but I’m anxious to get married.” Katie smiled. “You know, if anyone had told me six months ago that I’d be getting married, I would have never believed them, especially for it to happen this quickly. It seems the more we talk about our marriage, the more anxious I get. I bet you can’t wait either.”

  “Can’t wait for what?”

  Katie laughed and glanced at her before returning her attention to the road. “To get married. Have you and Forrest set a date yet?”

  Sasha swallowed hard. “Uh, no, not yet.”

  “Well, once
you start making plans you’ll get anxious, too.”

  When The Bridal Shoppe was in sight, Sasha breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks for the ride. I’ll call you later.”

  “Okay. Have a good day.” Katie waved before pulling away from the curb.

  For some reason, Sasha was depressed. Thankfully, she was the only one at the bridal shop all morning. She was sure the near zero temperatures were keeping most people away. Her nine-thirty appointment had called and canceled, leaving her only one appointment in the afternoon and any walk-ins who dared to brave the winter chill.

  While she ate her sandwich and chips for lunch, Sasha leafed through the wedding brochures, her conversation with Katie still on her mind. She loved Katie dearly as a friend, but she couldn’t tell her the truth about her and Forrest. If only it were a real engagement. Silently, Sasha had already chosen the teal and peach color scheme for her own wedding and had picked out the stationery she’d want, too. But it wasn’t real and Forrest wasn’t going to be waiting for her at any altar. The phone rang. She closed the book of samples with a thud and went to answer it.

  “The Bridal Shoppe, how can I help you?”

  “Sasha, this is Katie.”

  “Oh, Katie. Hi. What’s up?” Sasha glanced at her watch. “I promise I didn’t forget to call you. I haven’t gotten a hold of Forrest yet.”

  “I know, that’s okay, he talked to Wade. He’ll be by to pick you up around quarter after four,” Katie said in a perky voice. “So I guess I won’t see you till late tonight. Have fun.”

  “Sure, thanks,” Sasha mumbled as she hung up. Forrest told Wade? Why hadn’t he even bothered to call her and why was he talking to Wade in the first place? It infuriated her that he hadn’t even tried to call her and tell her.

  By the time Forrest showed up, she had half a mind to tell him she wasn’t going out with him. She would have too, if she had her car, but it would have been embarrassing and hard to explain if she called Katie and asked her to pick her up from work.

  “Hello, you look nice tonight,” Forrest commented when he came into the bridal shop. He leaned casually against the wall and waited while Sasha finished closing up without saying a word to him.